The 6 Minute Walk Test, 2 Minute Walk Test, and Time Up and Go are assessments used to assess functional mobility and gait in the geriatric population. Functional mobility and gait are important to improve the quality of life for older adults in the community as well as decreasing the level of assistance needed for institutionalized older adults.
Objectives:
The objectives of this page are to:
Learn more about the 6 minute walk test
Learn more about the 2 minute walk test
Learn more about the Time Up and Go Test
Compare Tests to choose the appropriate test
Learn about the evidence related to each test
Information about the Tests
The 6 Minute Walk Test
The 6 Minute Walk Test is a gait and submaximal aerobic capacity test as well as an endurance test used to determine the distance that can be walked in 6 minutes. Preferred speed or fastest gait speed can be used as long as whichever one used is documented to maintain consistency. This test is free and only requires a space to walk, a measurement device, and a stopwatch. Assistive devices can be used but to perform this the patient should not require any physical assistance. Normative data has been established for community dwelling elderly. The MCID is set at 50 meters.6 The 2 Minute Walk Test
The 2 Minute Walk Test was adapted from the 6 minute walk test and measures gait, functional mobility and endurance. An assistive device can be used but must be documented. The patient should not require any physical assistance to perform this test. This test is used more with patients that are unable to ambulate for 6 minutes or fatigue quickly. Parkinson’s is a common diagnosis that can use this test, but they must receive 2 practice trials to account for a learning effect. This test is free requiring only space, a measurement device, and a stopwatch. There is no MCID yet identified for this test. 6 Timed Up and Go
Timed Up and Go assesses gait and fall risk. An assistive device can be used but must be used every time and documented. Each patient must have one practice trial before beginning the test for accurate results. The test is free requiring a chair, a measurement device, a stop watch and something to mark off 3 meters. This test has been studied extensively with normative data established for community dwelling older adults, Geriatric rehabilitation, Parkinson’s disease, and fallers vs non-fallers. There is no MCID yet identified for this test. 6
Who is appropriate for which test?
The 6 Minute Walk Test
Patients over 60 who are able to ambulate with or without an assistive device without any physical assistance. The 2 Minute Walk Test
Geriatric patients who are able to ambulate with or without an assistive device without any physical assistance and are easily fatigued making them unable to complete the 6 Minute Walk Test. Time Up and Go
Geriatric patients who are able to ambulate with or without an assistive device who may be at an increased risk for falls.
Evidence
6 Minute Walk Test
6 Minute Walk Test is Predictive of mortality in patients with COPD. Distance < 357 M, Speed < 1.0 m/sec, or unintended stops during the test had a higher mortality rate and hospitalization rate.1
The 6 Minute was test was found to be a reliable outcome measure for patients with Alzheimer’sDisease with a minimal detectable change of 33.5 meters. An increase had a positive correlation with gait speed of 9.4 cm/s. 5 2 Minute Walk Test
A systematic study found moderate to strong evidence for use of the 2 Min Walk Test with Frail elderly patients and adults with lower limb amputations for reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Strong to moderate evidence for validity for patients following hip or cardiac surgery who are in rehabilitation.4
The 2MWT has been found to be reliable and valid to determine exercise tolerance in patients with severe COPD when compared to the 6 minute walk test.3 Timed Up and Go (TUG)
A time of 10.85 seconds on the Time up and Go test was found to be predictive of sarcopenia in elderly patients with a high specificity.2
The TUG is a reliable outcome measure to be used with patients with Alzheimer’s Disease with a 4.09 second change considered a minimal detectable change. An increase had a positive correlation with gait speed of 9.4 cm/s.5
References
1. Andrianopoulos V, Wouters EF, Pinto-Plata VM et. al. Respir Med. 2015 Jun 25. Pii: S0954-6111(15)30016-0. Doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2015.06.013. 2. Martinez BP, Gomes IB, Oliveira CS, et. al. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2015 May;70(5):369-72. Doi: 10.6061/clinics/2015(05)11. Epub 2015 May 1. 3. Leung AS, Chan KK, Sykes K, Chan KS. Chest. 2006 Jul; 130(1):119-25. 4. Pin TW. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014 Sep;95(9):1759-75. Doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.03.034. Epub 2014 May 9. 5. Ries JD, Echternach JL, Nof L, Gagnon Blodgett M. Pys Ther. 2009 Jun;89(6):569-79. Doi 10.2522/ptj.20080258. Epub 2009 Apr 23. 6.http://www.rehabmeasures.org/Lists/RehabMeasures/DispForm.aspx?ID=895 Retrieved on 7/8/2015.
Objectives:
The objectives of this page are to:
Learn more about the 6 minute walk test
Learn more about the 2 minute walk test
Learn more about the Time Up and Go Test
Compare Tests to choose the appropriate test
Learn about the evidence related to each test
Information about the Tests
The 6 Minute Walk Test
The 6 Minute Walk Test is a gait and submaximal aerobic capacity test as well as an endurance test used to determine the distance that can be walked in 6 minutes. Preferred speed or fastest gait speed can be used as long as whichever one used is documented to maintain consistency. This test is free and only requires a space to walk, a measurement device, and a stopwatch. Assistive devices can be used but to perform this the patient should not require any physical assistance. Normative data has been established for community dwelling elderly. The MCID is set at 50 meters.6
The 2 Minute Walk Test
The 2 Minute Walk Test was adapted from the 6 minute walk test and measures gait, functional mobility and endurance. An assistive device can be used but must be documented. The patient should not require any physical assistance to perform this test. This test is used more with patients that are unable to ambulate for 6 minutes or fatigue quickly. Parkinson’s is a common diagnosis that can use this test, but they must receive 2 practice trials to account for a learning effect. This test is free requiring only space, a measurement device, and a stopwatch. There is no MCID yet identified for this test. 6
Timed Up and Go
Timed Up and Go assesses gait and fall risk. An assistive device can be used but must be used every time and documented. Each patient must have one practice trial before beginning the test for accurate results. The test is free requiring a chair, a measurement device, a stop watch and something to mark off 3 meters. This test has been studied extensively with normative data established for community dwelling older adults, Geriatric rehabilitation, Parkinson’s disease, and fallers vs non-fallers. There is no MCID yet identified for this test. 6
Who is appropriate for which test?
The 6 Minute Walk Test
Patients over 60 who are able to ambulate with or without an assistive device without any physical assistance.
The 2 Minute Walk Test
Geriatric patients who are able to ambulate with or without an assistive device without any physical assistance and are easily fatigued making them unable to complete the 6 Minute Walk Test.
Time Up and Go
Geriatric patients who are able to ambulate with or without an assistive device who may be at an increased risk for falls.
Evidence
6 Minute Walk Test
6 Minute Walk Test is Predictive of mortality in patients with COPD. Distance < 357 M, Speed < 1.0 m/sec, or unintended stops during the test had a higher mortality rate and hospitalization rate.1
The 6 Minute was test was found to be a reliable outcome measure for patients with Alzheimer’sDisease with a minimal detectable change of 33.5 meters. An increase had a positive correlation with gait speed of 9.4 cm/s. 5
2 Minute Walk Test
A systematic study found moderate to strong evidence for use of the 2 Min Walk Test with Frail elderly patients and adults with lower limb amputations for reliability, validity, and responsiveness. Strong to moderate evidence for validity for patients following hip or cardiac surgery who are in rehabilitation.4
The 2MWT has been found to be reliable and valid to determine exercise tolerance in patients with severe COPD when compared to the 6 minute walk test.3
Timed Up and Go (TUG)
A time of 10.85 seconds on the Time up and Go test was found to be predictive of sarcopenia in elderly patients with a high specificity.2
The TUG is a reliable outcome measure to be used with patients with Alzheimer’s Disease with a 4.09 second change considered a minimal detectable change. An increase had a positive correlation with gait speed of 9.4 cm/s.5
References
1. Andrianopoulos V, Wouters EF, Pinto-Plata VM et. al. Respir Med. 2015 Jun 25. Pii: S0954-6111(15)30016-0. Doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2015.06.013.
2. Martinez BP, Gomes IB, Oliveira CS, et. al. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2015 May;70(5):369-72. Doi: 10.6061/clinics/2015(05)11. Epub 2015 May 1.
3. Leung AS, Chan KK, Sykes K, Chan KS. Chest. 2006 Jul; 130(1):119-25.
4. Pin TW. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014 Sep;95(9):1759-75. Doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2014.03.034. Epub 2014 May 9.
5. Ries JD, Echternach JL, Nof L, Gagnon Blodgett M. Pys Ther. 2009 Jun;89(6):569-79. Doi 10.2522/ptj.20080258. Epub 2009 Apr 23.
6. http://www.rehabmeasures.org/Lists/RehabMeasures/DispForm.aspx?ID=895 Retrieved on 7/8/2015.